Greetings in this Time after Pentecost.
In times of tragedy or community celebration, we engage not only with other Lutherans and other Christians but also with our interreligious partners. For the past two years I've had the wonderful privilege of serving on an ad hoc committee to help shape the newly available "ELCA Guidelines for Ministry in a Multi-Religious World."
When the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in 2019 adopted "A Declaration of Inter-Religious Commitment," this commitment called for the development of guidelines for our ministries in a multireligious context. These new guidelines respond to that call and are consistent with the church's policy as expressed in the declaration.
I encourage you to read a recent blog post by Kathryn Lohre, assistant to the presiding bishop and executive for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations and Theological Discernment for the ELCA. As she helpfully reminds us, these are not "one-size fits all templates. Instead, they assert the foundation for effective inter-religious engagement is authentic relationships coupled with contextual considerations."
May these guidelines be a helpful resource for you in your ministry.
In peace,
Deacon Jennifer Baker-Trinity
Program Manager, Worship Resource Development
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Prompts for Prayers of Intercession
As events in the world unfold, you may want assistance in contextualizing the prayers of intercession. ELCA Worship provides “Prompts for Prayers of Intercession” each Wednesday on its Worship Blog and links to them from its Facebook page. For additional resources for crafting intercessions, visit this annotated list.
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Language for God: A Lutheran Perspective Mary J. Streufert
Mary J. Streufert's Language for God explores the ways language and images influence who we are and how we live. It declares the necessity of language and images for God that are expansive and inclusive of all genders. Lutheran perspectives are used as a compass to offer Scriptural, theological, and historical insights to advance the reformation of Christian language. Streufert serves as director for Gender Justice and Women's Empowerment and for the Quality of Call initiative in the Office of the Presiding Bishop. |
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